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Neglect through inertia

It took the intervention of the prime minister for the revamp of Faliro Bay on the southern coast of Athens, which could help transform that part of the Greek capital into a major tourist hub, to be pushed higher up the government agenda.

Like so many other initiatives, this had been pushed onto the back burner and was at risk of being completely neglected.

The sad truth is that the Faliro project is an example of the myriad problems of getting things done in Greece, where it often takes pressure from the highest level to get the ball rolling.

The problem is not just politicians who can’t be bothered and who lack vision, but also the absence of a core of high-level civil servants who can execute ambitious plans on their own initiative.

Now we have to keep our fingers crossed that the Faliro project will get moving, be completed and bring both jobs and visitors to the Greek capital.